Sunday, December 15, 2013

Sound & Groove, Episode 41: "He Walked on the Wild Side" Part 1

Lou Reed, 1942-2013

Lou Reed unveiled the ugly realities behind the decadent side of life, exposing the exploits and ultimate human frailty of the junkies, pimps, drag queens and transsexuals of the NYC underground while celebrating rock & roll at its 1950s doo-wop and R&B core and pioneering its distortion-laden, beautifully noisy future. For a while Lou lived that life of drug fueled madness and nearly paid for it but after making it out of the wilderness in the early 80s he stuck around for another three decades delivering honest, surprisingly tender and wise (for a guy renowned as being a difficult, prickly character) material that challenged conventions to the bitter end. Showing little regard for how he was perceived, his last studio album was a widely loathed collaborative double disc set with Metallica that drew shrugs from his own fans and borderline psychotic reactions from already rankled Metallica diehards.

And then recently he was lost to the music world, passing away in October 2013 several months after a liver transplant. This episode is the first of two in December on the S&G Podcast that examine who he influenced, worked with, was covered by and how his own music and life evolved. So unwrap the xmas gifts, unwind, put on this podcast and hear a musical journey through yet another themed podcast here in 2013 with your host, Evan Dowbiggin. And if you're new to this podcast: Every month there will be a theme that the selection of music is centered around. It will be jam packed with my analysis, synopses, breakdowns, anecdotes and other witticisms you might enjoy. And not to worry, each month will contain a different theme than the last. All killer, no filler... other than when I talk and introduce the tunes and recap the ones before it. But aside from that? 100% juicy meat! Below I've also provided information and links relevant to the matters discussed in this particular edition of Sound & Groove.

All comments, questions and feedback are greatly welcomed and appreciated! I encourage participation. Even though I drain an hour off your life by listening to the podcast then checking through the links, at least you don't have to fork over your money to me... though if you feel like, you know... But in all seriousness, let me now what you'd like to hear or see and I'll consider it. Popular approval doesn't always sway me but having fans or listeners get their input would be just grand!